Telework in 10 Stats: A Story of Untapped Potential

Telework is both a driver and a beneficiary of evolving technology at federal agencies. The pressure on agencies to provide telework opportunities is driving bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and other mobility initiatives as well as the move to the cloud. There are many reasons agencies are embracing these technologies, nearly all of which make it easier for federal employees to work from home.

Telework in government is nothing new. In 1917 twenty thousand civilian government employees were asked to work from home to make uniforms because there wasn’t enough room at the Jefferson Indiana Depot. What’s more, they were asked to provide their own sewing machine—‘Bring Your own Device’ (BYOD) in today’s terms.

Advancements in technology have made telework a no-brainer for many agencies to pursue. So why aren’t they? The benefits — cost savings, increased productivity and higher morale — are well documented. The challenges — security, initial investment and managerial resistance — are outlined in this report, which includes a survey of federal and private sector telework leaders.

Here are 10 interesting statistics from the report, which can be viewed here.